Topic Tuesday// Suicide: You Can Talk About It// Tuesday 31st October 2023 5:30-7PM AEDT

[amber22]

Of course you can - although I won't be on after tonight. 

@Jynx and @Melbcoffeesnob are with you tonight. 

But if you wanted to chat about it with me tomorrow I'll be here and can send you a message in the morning ❤️@Captain24 

[Captain24]

I never knew about the repetitive motion. @Snowdragon. I actually think that may help when no other distractions are working. 

[lemlem678]

@Snowdragon what happens when none of the self soothing tools work anymore? What can people do then?

[Captain24]

Thanks @amber22. I’d appreciate that thank you. 

[Snowie]

What might a go-to healthy self-soothing activity be for you? What self-soothing or self care activity will you do to take care of yourself after the discussion this evening? 

My self soothing activity tonight is journaling. It helps me with getting the thoughts out of my head. Even though my dog doesn't respond she is a really good listener too!

[Snowdragon]

@Captain24 

The trick is to find something that works for you. Glad this is something you can explore

[chibam]

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@lemlem678 wrote:
@chibamcompletely agree with what you've said. Rather than us feeling we have a choice, often it ends up we do things out of compliance to alleviate the distress responses from other to our experience of not wanting to live. Compliance is not the right approach to stopping people from suiciding.
I wonder if people could easily get a prescription to die how many people would take it up? How would that potentially change the landscape of suicide and talking about suicide.
Assisted dying is reserved for those who are terminally ill. What about those who do have mental health issues that don't go away and are forced to be the living dead essentially.
There are so many systemic issues that are contributors to people not wanting to be alive and these things just do not seem to ever get address or changed.

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Canada's gonna become an interesting case study in that regard, @lemlem678 . AFAIK, they've legallized euthanasia for "mentally ill" people now. A lot of fuss being made about it, as you can imagine.

Personally, I yearn for the day when suicide is regarded as a completely everyday choice that nobody gets wound up about. No more life-by-duress. True freedom; the freedom to live by choice, and also to die by choice, without any defamation or persecution.

[amber22]

It might have to do with experimenting slowly through all of the self-soothing things that there are in the world, and finding something that might work for you. There are so many and your 'thing' that helps you might take you a while to find (if you haven't found one that does already), but it might be helpful to keep experimenting with things that might help in the moment and see what sticks @lemlem678 

[Captain24]

Im in a holiday house with my parents. My self soothing will be a long hot shower and then try a distance myself! 

[lemlem678]

@chibam its really astounding to think that suicide was once criminalised too! If you weren't successful you be put in jail!

I didn't know about Canada, that will be interesting and something I will try to follow news on.